January 2, 2014 - Matt Wellens

To say I’m surprised the Green Bay Packers are hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Lambeau Field as NFC North Division champions would be an understatement.

But it’s not because I ever doubted the Packers.

I just failed to believe the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions could crash and burn as hard as they did.

I didn’t think the Packers had the slightest chance to extend their season when quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his fractured collar bone were replaced by an awful Seneca Wallace and a slightly-less awful Scott Tolzien.

When Matt Flynn returned to Green Bay after being tossed out of Seattle, Oakland and Buffalo, I felt the move reeked of desperation. It would change nothing.

I was wrong, however, not because I abandoned my team. I just overestimated their rivals.

The Lions organization should be the most embarrassed out of any team in the NFL this week after sitting at 6-3 following a road win over the Bears on Nov. 10. To reach the playoffs, all Detroit had to do was finish 3-4 down the stretch against teams that finished with a combined record of 50-60-2.

All Detroit did was beat Green Bay on Thanksgiving, with losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) and Minnesota Vikings (5-10-1).

If Detroit wins those games, all Packers fans are celebrating this week is spoiling the Bears’ season.

Of course, the Packers never should have been given the chance to crash Chicago’s party on Sunday, not if the Bears take care of business back in November and early December.

Despite handing the Lions control of the division on Nov. 10, all the Bears needed to do was beat either the 7-9 St. Louis Rams on Nov. 24 or the Vikings on Dec. 1 on the road to reach the playoffs.

The Bears did neither, winning only three of their final seven games, with Rodgers’ pass to a hobbled Randall Cobb being the final exclamation point on what will go down as one of the more epic choke jobs in NFC North history.

It’s left me asking, if the Bears and Lions can’t prevent the Packers from winning the division with Rodgers injured for eight weeks, will they ever anytime soon?

Now on to my postseason picks, which will take a different form from now until the Super Bowl. This week I will predict how I think the entire NFL postseason will play out. After this week, I will just predict the games in front of us for that given round.

Wildcard Playoffs

NFC

5. San Francisco 49ers at 4. Green Bay Packers

4:40 p.m., Sunday, FOX

It doesn’t matter if the Packers lose 50-0. They’re in the playoffs and the Lions and Bears are not. 49ers 38, Packers 31

6. New Orleans Saints at 3. Philadelphia Eagles

8:10 p.m., Saturday, NBC

The Packers and Eagles may be division champions, but they won what is comparable to the MAC. The Saints and Niners came from the SEC. Saints 31, Eagles 28

AFC

5. Kansas City Chiefs at 4. Indianapolis Colts

4:35 p.m., Saturday, NBC

The Colts were my preseason favorite to reach the Super Bowl as a No. 6 seed, not winners of the AFC South. I’m feeling good about that pick right now. Colts 21, Chiefs 18

No. 6 San Diego Chargers at No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals

1:05 p.m., Sunday, CBS

The Chargers showed against the Chiefs backups they’re lucky to be in the postseason. Bengals 28, Chargers 13

Matt Wellens is Sports Editor of the Mining Journal. Check out his Armchair QB column every Thursday at MiningJournal.net and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mattwellens. Email him at mwellens@miningjournal.net.